If there was one thing Bo hated, it was sand. Well, not sand so much as sand in places it shouldn't be. While she loved the beach, she was not a fan of bringing the beach home with her. She had been in Jamaica this week, but she had not been able to actually enjoy her trip. She had always wanted to visit some of the places she had been the past few months while working with the Morrigan, but she never got to really experience them. Honestly, she was kind of glad, because she wanted to go to these places with Lauren.

The problem was that travelling cost money, so she would go to a new place and realize she wanted to take Lauren there. Bo knew her girlfriend had wanted to travel the world but never had the chance to because of school and then her servitude. Lauren had spent some time in the Congo with a medical group, and Bo was glad she could cross that place off the list. When she went to see that shaman about removing that cursing nail, Bo had not enjoyed that trip. Maybe if she had gone under different circumstances, she would have seen it differently.

She had called Lauren to meet her at the clubhouse after work. It felt like she hadn't been back here in over a month; it looked like Kenzi and Lauren hadn't been here much, either. She couldn't blame them; not when it was just easier to walk out the back door and across a field to get to work instead of driving an hour out of the city and back every day.

Lauren sounded so tired on the phone. Bo felt guilty again for leaving, especially since they were fighting when she left. She didn't understand her sudden need for money. Even more, she didn't understand her strong desire for a kid. Seeing Alexie reminded her that she didn't have children yet. Bo really wanted children; even more, she really wanted children with Lauren. They had known each other for two years; they had been bound for one and a half of those years. Was it illogical to want children this much? It almost felt like a primal urge. Part of that urge was one reason she stopped fighting herself and started to feed from Lauren on a regular basis.

Knowing it was still early and Lauren was just now be driving back to the city, Bo went down to the Dal to talk to her grandfather, who she had also not seen in over a month. When she sat at the bar and got his attention, he smiled at her, but he approached with caution. It always bothered her when he did that. It usually meant he didn't have good news, and Bo really wanted some good news right now. Or at least no news. No news was good news, too.

"Hey, kiddo. Good trip?" He handed her a beer, but she didn't think she really wanted it.

"Long trip. Ever gone up against a rolling calf before? Yeah, I would take Ferdinand and the whole mad underfae cow army before dealing with that again." Bo palmed the glass between both of her hands.

"Have you talked to Lauren this afternoon?" Trick looked at her through narrowed, concerned eyes. She felt like she was being tested.

"Not since this morning. She's on her way home now, and I'm supposed to meet her soon." Bo took a short pull from the cold mug, closing her eyes in appreciation. Maybe she did want the drink. "Why?"

"Nothing's wrong." Trick waited for her to respond. She hadn't even thought anything was wrong; she would have sensed that, surely. Even during their three weeks apart, Bo could sense when something was wrong with Lauren. If something was wrong now, she would know. "William Lewis was just appointed as Prime Minister today. It's been all over the news."

"Lauren's dad?" Bo took a moment to realize that she was fae-married to the only biological daughter of the most politically powerful man in Canada. Of course, nobody really knew that Lauren was his only biological daughter, or that said biological daughter was sort of married to her. Bo took another long drink, and Trick just allowed her to process that as he got her another pint. Lauren may not be close to her family, but it was insane knowing that the most powerful man in the country was technically a human pet, owned by Lauren's fae mother. While she knew this would happen eventually, Bo had never really let it register how much the fae had their hands in the human world. She was actually more surprised that she was surprised at all at this revelation.

"I'm sure Lachlan has something to say about this." Trick was definitely right about that. Evony, no doubt, would have something to say, too. However, Lauren was the only one Bo was concerned with now. Her girlfriend's family wasn't exactly a pleasant topic of conversation, and they avoided talking about them unless absolutely necessary, which was not often since they managed to avoid the clan almost completely. Bo felt the familiar guilt surface at how much she had affected the Lewis family directly. "If you remember, can you have Lauren come see me this week?"

"Everything okay?" Bo was worried now. Trick rarely asked for help, and Lauren was a doctor. She narrowed her eyes to observe him closer, but he did not look like he was experiencing any of the blood fever symptoms. At least she could breathe easy about that. Then again, since he was a blood sage, would blood diseases affect him? If he contracted one, could he just write it out of his system? If he did contract one, would his blood writings be affected?

"Everything's fine. I just have something to discuss with her when she gets a free moment." Trick did not smile, and Bo was convinced he did not sound confident in his reassurance that everything was fine. "What were you tasked with getting this time for the Morrigan?"

"Some ritual coin or something that looked like a ritual coin. I've not been around many for reference." Bo really needed to start asking questions. She just knew that when she delivered the coin this afternoon, Evony had handed her a briefcase filled with cash. There were several briefcases stored in her bedroom that she should probably take to the bank and finally open an account, or at least find a better system of hiding it. Under her bed was not the most practical place to hide large sums of money. Lauren and Kenzi both had reminded her of this several times. "Let's get together this week for lunch?"

"I would love that, kiddo." Trick did smile at her this time. She had seen Gram quite a bit more than her own grandfather these past few months, and this thought made her itch to play that weird fae game she played with him. She still didn't know how to pronounce the name. Bo had just taken to calling it Old Fae Chessgammon. When she tried to show Lauren how to play one night, since Trick had sent her home with her mother's old board, Bo was not surprised that her girlfriend kicked her ass. It was rare that Lauren didn't kick her ass at games, but Bo found that they both loved losing at strip poker. Poor Kenzi had walked in on many an ongoing game played in the living room; no wonder her best friend thought she needed therapy. Bo smiled, but then she remembered just how much her own sexual libido had changed lately, causing her to possibly need therapy.

"I've actually been feeling rather, well…Dyson-like with the mood swings lately. Nothing's mentioned in the book, but Lauren explained that not much is really in the book other than 'how to' guides and basic knowledge." Bo saw Trick stiffen even more. Since his wife and daughter were succubi, he would have firsthand knowledge that wasn't in the book. She should have asked him this a long time ago, but every time she tried to discuss her sex life or powers or powers associated with her sex life, Trick clammed up and feigned business. "Something's off, though, and I think it has something to do with my succubus stuff."

"It's probably just hunger." Trick did not look like he believed that. Bo narrowed her eyes to read his energy closer. He seemed more nervous than before she brought this up, which made her curious. "Have you stopped feeding from Lauren finally?"

"You sound too…happy about that." Bo had never really asked Trick's opinion on Lauren. Since he regarded the doctor in such high esteem and was extremely polite and courteous to her, Bo had assumed that her grandfather had no issues with them being together. Then again, he did not sound too excited when he had first discovered they had mated. He was even less excited about the baby scare that resulted in that accidental mating. Still, she would know if Trick had a problem with them.

"I just worry." Trick did sound honest there, but his shoulders were still stiff and his energy was still nervous. "You know that your grandmother was the first succubus to ever successfully achieve monogamy, but I saw how much it bothered her when she would drain me. She was just as stubborn as you are."

"I still feed elsewhere. Lauren is human. No matter how much I want her to be enough, we both know that if I feed from her too often, even if her super hybrid mojo energy cranks me at full mass instantly, I could do some serious damage." Bo took a deep breath and looked at the clock on her phone. Lauren was getting home, and she needed to leave. "I have to meet her soon, but I do want to talk more about this. I'm serious that something feels off."

Trick just nodded, as she picked up her phone and keys before standing and smiling at him before she left. Though, the smile was more because she knew she would see Lauren again soon. Even when they were fighting, they couldn't stay away from each other for long. Kenzi was staying at the farm again tonight, so neither her best friend or her kid could cockblock Bo from devouring her girlfriend completely as soon as she saw her.


Lauren dropped her keys in the bowl on the entryway table before dropping her overstuffed briefcase beside the table. She sighed deeply, feeling the exhaustion throughout her entire body. The hour long drive had done nothing to alleviate her stress; instead, the tension only increased with the knowledge that Bo would be waiting for her when she got home. She wanted to think of various ways to make up with her girlfriend, since they had been fighting before Bo left last week. Instead, the doctor kept thinking of different solutions she hadn't tried yet to fix the blood fever.

She looked around at the empty living area. Bo's duffle bag was propped beside the couch, but there were no real signs that her girlfriend had been home long. Since Bo had been the one to call her to be home tonight, why was she the only one here?

Her phone rang, and Lauren was excited to hear her girlfriend's voice again. She answered without looking at the screen, sensing Bo's excitement slowly increase, which meant she was on her way home and getting closer.

"Hey, babe. I'm home. Where are you?" Lauren walked into the kitchen to grab a glass of water, but the call was ended just as she answered. She looked at her phone but thought nothing of it, as she took a long drink and placed the glass and phone on the kitchen island. Bo's car door had slammed outside, so she had probably just called for certainty, not really needing to talk but wanting to hear Lauren's verbal confirmation that she was home.

She moved to sit down on the couch, but the door opened and closed before she had a chance to turn around fully to greet the intruder. A very welcome intruder, as Bo just continued walking quickly towards her and pulled her into a kiss. It was sloppy but still ended too soon.

"Hello to you, too." Lauren smiled, as she felt Bo pull her into a tight embrace instead of releasing their hold.

"You're exhausted." Bo's body tensed, and she sounded defeated. Lauren leaned back in their embrace so she could smile at her girlfriend and place a much better kiss on her lips.

"Nothing you've not caused yourself plenty of times." Lauren smiled and felt her body relax finally when Bo smiled in return. "Do you need to feed?"

"I can't feed from you when you're this exhausted." Bo sounded like a kid who was just told they couldn't have their kid's meal toy with dinner. She moved from the embrace but stayed within Lauren's personal space to lean against the arm of the couch. "Are you still mad at me?"

"That depends. Are you still going to run off without much warning whenever the Morrigan snaps her fingers?" Lauren felt herself stiffen again. This was not the reunion she had expected. She much preferred the sloppy kisses to this. She closed her eyes and released a deep, calming breath. "Sorry. I don't want to fight."

"Make love, not war?" Bo sounded hopeful. Lauren just rolled her eyes in amusement. Her girlfriend was, by species and personality, one track minded.

"I'm not positive I have the energy to do anything but slow." Lauren knew how much Bo loved when she went slow with her, especially because it gave her a chance to roll their bodies together completely. Bo loved it when Lauren was on top, too. Tonight, though, she knew her girlfriend would need to do most of the work. She had already exerted herself into a work-stress coma. Her concentration on other things was for crap right now, even things she loved.

"Here." Bo reached out a hand to pull at Lauren's waist, bringing her between her legs. The succubus was sending pulses into her body. Lauren felt the familiar adrenaline, but the energy was too much. Bo was giving her too much; if she fed from her tonight, which Lauren would insist on because her girlfriend looked extremely drained herself, Bo had just possibly started another attempt at succubus baby making. She had been doing this a lot more the past few months, Lauren noted, especially since the last scare had been a false pregnancy. Luckily, Lauren had still been taking those regular succubus-altered birth control injections even while Bo was away. This was no different than the regular injections she gave the succubus to curb her hunger.

"Babe, you need to stop. You're pulsing too much. I'm going to be on overload and pass out from the adrenaline before you even have a chance to touch me." Lauren felt both horny and overly falsely energized. The sensations coupled with her exhaustion were making her dizzy. Bo stopped sending her energy waves to her, but now she looked drained. "I told you it was too much."

"I'm fine." Bo snapped slightly but relaxed and apologized with her eyes for the reaction. "I hate it when you overwork yourself like this. Physician, heal thyself. When was the last time you got any rest? I've only been gone for a week."

"I can rest when I know what's causing this blood fever." Lauren's insides were on fire, and she knew Bo sensed the hyper sexual energy she now felt. "Right now, I plan on healing myself with some of my favorite medicine."

"We really need to work on your dirty talk." Bo chuckled slightly before pulling Lauren back into a loose embrace.

"Where shall we christen this evening, m'lady?" Lauren bowed forward slightly once she broke the hug, as she extended her hand in offering, which Bo gladly accepted. She couldn't resist placing a soft kiss on the top of Bo's hand in hers.

"That slow thing sounded nice, and you should sleep afterwards, so the bed is fine." Bo stood from the couch and guided them upstairs. Lauren went about undressing and folding her clothes to place on the chair by the armoire while Bo went into the bathroom. The cold air against her completely exposed skin sent another surge of wakefulness to Lauren. Bo walked back into the bedroom in only her black underwear. "I feel overdressed."

"You're beautiful." Lauren felt the energy Bo had given her working tenfold now, as she moved to push dark curls behind her girlfriend's shoulders. She had let her hair down while in the bathroom, no doubt knowing how much Lauren loved to wrap her hands and fingers in those dark brown locks. "Undress completely and let me check you out."

"Right down to business, as usual, I see. Do you ever turn the doctor off?" Bo had asked that same question to her during their heated argument before she left last week. This time, though, the question wasn't meant malevolently. "Just for a bit; that's all I'm asking."

"With you, it's never just a bit." Lauren smiled and felt the cool breeze hit her skin again. She shivered, and Bo came to rub her warm hands against her arms. "Bed?"

"Bed." Bo was the first to move, as she kicked off her underwear before crawling up to the top of the bed and twisting around, flopping down on her back and propping her upper body up with her elbows behind her. "Come here."

"Gladly." Lauren crawled across the bed over top of Bo and fell beside her girlfriend, marrying their limbs in the process. She placed a hand against Bo's cheek and pulled her into a long kiss, their hot breaths moving between parted lips. Bo moved them slowly until she was the one straddling her, Lauren on her back.

Bo leaned down and kissed her again; this time, her girlfriend had started feeding. Lauren felt the familiar tinges of pleasure and pain and pleasure, as she only cringed slightly from the overexhaustion mingling with the painful nerve spikes. The pleasure framing the pain still outweighed the pain from feeding, but Lauren did feel the false energy Bo had given her earlier start to drain from her again.

That's when Bo did something different. She pushed her energy back into Lauren, who felt the energy return, only to be drained from her again. This happened between kisses and intimate touches, the obsessive exchange of energy back and forth prolonging their lovemaking for several hours. So much for sleeping. This repeated give and take worried Lauren whenever she had a chance to process what was happening; her tired body felt the sensations that much more already from her sensitive nerve endings and muscles.

Bo fell asleep tangled on top of her, but Lauren just stared at the ceiling. For what felt like the first time in several months, the doctor realized she had a new case to solve that was possibly just as pressing as the blood fever. While she loved the attention and sensations received from her girlfriend during their lovemaking, and she did feel that familiar focused hum that came from their bond, Lauren was worried something was wrong with Bo. This was a Bo the succubus problem and not a Bo the girlfriend problem like she had originally suspected.

Lauren felt the power from their bond. Bo's natural instincts were taking over and trying to get her pregnant. The question was why.